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Celluloid soldiers : the Warner Bros. campaign against Nazism / Michael E. Birdwell.

This book provides an overview of the efforts of the Warner Brothers’ studio to aid in the war effort, namely by campaigning against Nazism. Birdwell examines the complex relationship between the Warner Brothers Studio and the US government in promoting the war effort.

Birdwell’s discussion frames the effectiveness of the “Private Snafu” series in the context of other films of its time which sought to promote the US war effort. The book provides a good understanding of mainstream propaganda films which were accessible to a broader audience and how they are different from the “Private Snafu” series.

Warners wiseguys : all 112 films that Robinson, Cagney and Bogart made for the studio / Scott Allen Nollen.

This is a collection of films produced by the Warner Brothers studio with reference to individuals such as Frank Capra who produced the “Private Snafu” series and the role of the Production Code in film production.

This source is helpful as an introduction to the climate of wartime film-making at the Warner Brothers studio. It provides an in-depth look at the workings of the Warner Brothers studio, especially during the Second World War.

Treasures from American film archives / producer, National Film Preservation Foundation ; curator, Scott Simmon ; music curator, Martin Marks.

This anthology of over 100 years of American films includes a famous short from the "Private Snafu" series of twenty-six animated short films made by Warner Brothers. These films were shown exclusively to servicemen and served as educational government "posters" for soldiers through the use of negative examples. The stories were created by Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel and the U.S. Army's Information and Education Division, with composer Carl Stalling. The featured film in this anthology is "Private Snafu: Spies" (1943), which tells the story of a soldier, Private Snafu, whose negligence and spilling of state secrets lead to his destruction at the hands of Nazi enemies. The short successfully promotes the idea of "loose lips sink ships" through humor and an engaging and easy-to-understand story line. There was a mutual relationship between the government and film studios and at the same time the state department also strategized trade agreements related to film in a way that bolstered the industry.

“Spies” serves as a good example of how “Private Snafu” was an effective propaganda vehicle that results from the collaboration between government and the film industry during World War II.

Casablanca man : the cinema of Michael Curtiz / James C. Robertson.

Robertson, James C. (James Crighton), 1930-. Casablanca man : the cinema of Michael Curtiz / James C. Robertson. [0415068045] London ; New York : Routledge, 1993.
Call#: Van Pelt Library PN1998.3.C87 R63 1993

This book distinguishes itself by giving a through biography of Casablanca’s often forgotten director, Michael Curtiz. Usually considered to be nothing more than a studio workhorse, Curtiz and his work have often been ignored as merely the cookie cutter products of the enormous studio factories. In the Casablanca Man, Robertson tries to rebuff this image of Curtiz and investigate the unique elements of Curtiz’s work. During this investigation, Robertson outlines Curtiz’s life-story and the influence that it had on his films. Robertson also attempts to discover the man behind Curtiz’s films by researching the director’s view of film auteurism. In 1917, Curtiz stated that the director’s place in a film could be described as a kind of supreme behind the scenes coordinator. Throughout his life, Curtiz favored a hidden approach regarding the influence he had on his own films. Unfortunately, this method has led critics and viewers alike to forget his existence or see his many successful films as merely happy studio systems accidents. This book is highly relevant to the analysis of Casablanca because it reminds its audience to not forget the work of a director who seems to have put a great deal of effort into being forgotten. Curtiz’s influence on Casablanca is significant and (as this book reminds us) should not be forgotten.

Casablanca : behind the scenes / Harlan Lebo.

Lebo, Harlan.. Casablanca : behind the scenes / Harlan Lebo. [0671769812 :] New York : Simon & Schuster, c1992.
Call#: Van Pelt Library PN1997.C3523 L4 1992

The object of this book is to present a detailed summary of many aspects of the making of the legendary film Casablanca. This summary includes a brief history of the Warner Brothers studio, the life of Jack Warner, short biographies of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, and the traumatic story of the writing Casablanca’s screenplay. Although at first glance, this book seems to be a classic coffee-table book, its contents and writing style do much to differentiate it from this rather superficial genre. Lebo seems to desperately search for a middle ground between the aesthetically pleasing use of pictures in his book and the more academic use of detailed analysis and quotation. By blending the two styles, Lebo creates a book that is stimulating both visually and intellectually. Casablanca Behind the Scenes’ is relevant to this film’s analysis because it gives a detailed summary of the behind the scenes drama and controversy inherent to the making of the now legendary film. This analysis particularly shows the inner workings of the Hollywood studio system and gives examples of the system’s advantages and faults.